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It's time for doors, windows, ceilings, and mechanicals in the Manhattan Brownstone. Bob joins Chris Vila, the project manager, for a look at the ceiling that had to be reopened to run refrigerant lines for the air conditioning and the plaster walls that are now wired for the plasma screen television above the hearth. In the front rooms, ductwork is in place for the heating-and-cooling system and a Chicago-bar drop ceiling is installed to hide the ductwork. Fire batts are used to prevent noise transfer through the ceilings. Pella French doors are installed on the balcony while the surrounding masonry is rebuilt with weep holes to divert water and moisture from behind the brick. Oversized Pella double-hung windows are framed out and installed to bring in light and air. The Mitsubishi City Multi HVAC system is set up to deliver customized individual-zone heat and air conditioning throughout the apartment.

Part 1: Installing a Drop Ceiling to Hide Duct Work

Bob walks through the Manhattan Brownstone floor-through apartment with project manager Chris Vila, looking first at the ductwork that has been run in the ceiling for the forced air heat. He then joins John McEvoy of Thorough Construction for a look at the drop ceiling installation they will be using to hide the ductwork and mechanicals in the ceiling. This Chicago bar system allows the crew to hang a perfectly level drywall ceiling instead of following the uneven pattern of the existing joists. First an anchor is screwed into the joists. A pencil rod is then fitted into the hole in the anchor and bent to hang from the joist. A lasar level marks the exact position for the kelly clips that will hold the main stays or block irons in place. The Chicago bar is then clipped to the block irons with a spaghetti clip to create a grid for the new drywall. The drywall will be screwed directly into the suspended Chicago bar.
Bob looks at the sound attenuation product being used in the ceilling of the Manhattan Brownstone. Chris Vila, the project manager, explains that unlike fiberglass batts, this Roxul AFB fire batt is thicker than traditional batt and completely blocks sound transfer while preventing the spread of fire from space to space.

This project deals with two very different notions of home. Bob begins on New York City's Upper West Side, where an 1890s Brownstone is revitalized through high-quality craftsmanship and sensitive design. New York's past meets its present, as the entire floor is recaptured and refurbished to create a spacious urban apartment on the doorstep of Central Park.

At the same time, Bob works with a Cape Cod developer to apply Massachusetts land use statute 40B to create affordable housing, and a neighborhood of homes in Mashpee, MA. These Energy Star certified homes show how quality building practices and reasonable asking prices can work together to provide livable, affordable homes and neighborhoods to those who work in our communities.